home video

noun

plural home videos

1

: a homemade video (see video entry 1 sense 1) that is not usually intended for commercial release or distribution

We showed our friends home videos of our vacation in the Caribbean.

People are consuming millions of hours of shaky, selfie-quality home video on their phones every day.

—Karen Bussone

… make a home video, using a cell phone or camera, of yourself performing your selection.

—The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, North Carolina)

2

: prerecorded video (see video entry 1 sense 1a) marketed for home viewing

The popular TV series … returns to home video with the DVD and Blu-ray releases of … Season Three.

—Mike Spring

It's not clear when other [streaming] platforms will add season four, but it usually takes several months for new seasons to receive a home video release …

—Business Insider US

Examples of home video in a Sentence

the latest releases in home video

We watched a home video of their wedding.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2010 a lawyer representing Casey Anthony, accused of murdering her toddler daughter, revealed that in 2008 ABC News had paid $200,000 for exclusive rights to Anthony family photos and home videos. —Lorna Veraldi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026

It was initially offered in 2003’s deluxe Alien Quadrilogy home video DVD box set. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2026

Kino Lorber plans to release the film theatrically on July 3 at IFC Center in New York followed by a digital, educational, and home video release. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026

Many were self-distributed and only made for the home video market. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 2